Drum pedal device

ABSTRACT

A drum double pedal device comprising two beaters mounted in front of the drum, each of the beaters comprising a stem and a head. Two depressible foot pedals are connected to the beaters by means of a drive transmission. The beaters are mounted for swing movement about axes oriented in a manner such that the heads of the beaters are farther apart when remote from the drum than they are when in contact with the drum.

United States Patent [1 1 Sleishman Aug. 7, 1973 DRUM PEDAL DEVICE Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner--John F. Gonzales [76] Inventor: Donald Eric Slershman, 2 Lovllle 7 Ave Peakhurst, Sydney Australia :tt;l2meyFranc1s C. Browne, Wilson R. Maltby 22 Filed: Dec. 9, 1971 211 Appl. No.: 206,372 [57] ABSTRACT A drum double pedal device comprising two beaters mounted in front of the drum, each of the beaters com- [2%] Cell. uiadsz/stzuz) prising mm and aheladTwo depressible footpedals R 422 S are connected to the heaters by means of a drive trans- 1 le 0 care mission. The heaters are mounted for swing movement 5 6 R f Cit d about axes oriented in a manner such that the heads of 1 e Hence? the heaters are farther apart when remote from the UNITED STATES PATENTS drum than they are when in contact with the drum. 3,195,391 7/1965 Peters 84/422 5 Cl i 4 D 1,369,233 2/1921 Fitzgerald et al. 84/422 PATENTEBAUB 11m 3750.517

SHEET 1 0F 2 PATENJED 3.750.517

SHEET 2 [IF 2 DRUM PEDAL DEVICE This invention relates to pedal devices of the kind used for the foot operation of bass drums.

conventionally, such pedal devices comprise a supporting frame, a foot pedal hingedly mounted on said frame, a substantially horizontal beater shaft extending transversely of said foot pedal, a beater projecting radially from said beater shaft, a link extending from the free end of the foot pedal to a crank arm or the like on the beater shaft, and spring-loading means tending to rotate said beater shaft and lift said foot pedal.

The supporting frame is adapted to rest on the floor in front of the bass drum and is usually provided with anchorage means for securing it to the bass drum with the pedal device as a whole sitting centrally before the drum so that the beater strikes the drum squarely at about the centre of its diaphragm.

In many musical groups it is thought desirable, to

age means 14 whereby it may be secured to the rim of the bass drum 15.

The drum 15 is conventional and comprises a drum body 16, a diaphragm 17 with its edge margin wrapped have two bass drums each fitted with a pedal device arranged for simultaneous operation by one drummer.

In attempts to economise it has previously been proposed to use two pedal devices in relation to a single drum. However, because of the need to space the foot pedals apart to suit the drummer and to provide space between the pedals for a stand for a snare or kettle drum it has been usual when using two substantially conventional pedal devices for the heater to strike the bass drum near the periphery of the diaphragmrather than near the centre. This is objectionable as it deleteriously affects the sound of the drum.

An object of the present invention is to provide a doublepedal device which overcomes the above indicated deficiency associated with the use of two individual pedal devices in relation to one drum.

The invention consists in a drum double pedal device comprising a supporting structure including means to secure it in front of a drum, two beaters, each comprising a heater stem and a beater head, mounted on said structure, two depressible foot pedalsrespectively associated with said heaters and drive transmission means connecting each pedal to its associated beater; said beaters being-mounted for swing movement about axes oriented in a manner such that the heads of the beaters are farther apart when remote fromthe drum than they are when in contact with the drum.

Bywayof example, an embodiment of the above dearound a tensioning ring 18 and a circular rim 19.

The rim 19 is secured to the drum body 16 by screw connectors (not shown) whereby the rim 19 may be loaded against the tensioning ring 18 so as to stretch the diaphragm 17. Each anchorage means 14 comprises a hooked body 20 adapted to engage over tensioning ring 18, two lugs 21 on the body 20, a rock lever 22 fulcrummed on a pin 23 extending from one lug 21 to the other and a thumb screw 24 whereby one end of the rock lever 22 may be brought into clamping engagement against the inner surface of the rim 19.

The body 20 of the anchorage means has a second pair of lugs 25 supporting a pivot pin for a swinging link 26 attached to a clamping bolt 27 to a plug 28 adapted to fit into a socket in the supporting structure body 5.

Each of the foot pedals 13 is connected by way of a drag link 29 to a crank arm 30 on one end of a beater shaft 31 rotatably mounted within an associated one of the journal sleeves 7.

For preference, the drag link 29 is de-mountably connected to the pedal 13 by means of a hooked end 32 and is connected at its other end to the crank arm 30 by way of a universal joint 33 of conventional kind.

Each'of the beater shafts 31 has an enlarged end portion 34 from which a beater, comprising a stem 35 and a head '36, extends.

Loading springs 37 are provided extending from screw adjustable spring anchors 38 on the supporting structure to spring anchor pins 39 projecting from the shaft end portions 34. The arrangement of the loading springs 37 is such that they bias the device to a normal rest position (as illustrated in the drawings) in which scribed inveniton is described hereinafter with refer-- ence to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a double pedal device according to the invention in position in front of a bass g drum. 1

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pedal device of FIG. 1.

FIG; 3 isa side elevation of the pedal device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a detail view drawn to a larger scale of clamping means, being a component of the device of FIG. 1. 1

The illustrated double pedal device includes a supporting structure comprising a base 5, two columns 6 arising therefrom, and two journal sleeves 7 at the top of the columns 6.

The supporting structure also includes two demountable pedal anchorage straps 8 with a hooked end 9 adapted to engage locating pins 10 projecting from the base 5 and an eye 11 at the other end to accommodate hinge pins 12 (see FIG. 3) for two depressible foot pedals 13. The supporting structure also includes anchorthe-beater heads 36 are remote from the diaphragm 17 and the foot pedals 13 are raised.

If one or other of the foot pedals I3 is derpessed the corresponding beater swings so that the beater head 36 strikes the diaphragm l7.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, the beaters 36 are shown in broken outline as they appear when in contact with the diaphragm l7 and it will be seen that whereas in the rest position the beater heads are well spaced apart, they are close together and close to the centre of the diaphram 17 when in contact therewith. l

In the illustrated embodiment of the inventionthat is achieved because of the angular disposition of the beater shafts, the axesof which lie ina horizonal plane but are non-co-linear and oblique to the diaphragm l7. The same effect may be achieved with'bea ter shafts having axes lying in a vertical plane parallel to the diaphragm 17 but inclined to the horizontal. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the shaft axes may occupy intermediate positions in which they are both inclined to the horizontal and oblique to the diaphragm 17 when viewed from above.

It will be appreciated that pedal devices according to the invention may differ considerably in detail from the illustrated device. In particular, the supporting structure may be fabricated instead of being a casting as illustrated, the links 29 may be replaced by pliable tension members, which if desired may be wrapped partly about the beater shafts, and the spring loading means may be in the form of torsion springs associated with the beater shafts or the pedal hinges.

I claim:

1. A drum double pedal device comprisng a supporting structure including means to secure it in front of a drum, two beaters, each comprising a beater stem and a beater head, mounted on said structure, two depressible foot pedals respectively associated with said beaters, and drive transmission means connecting each pedal to its associated beater, each drive transmission means containing a shaft with one of said heater stems perpendicularly attached thereto to minimize the 1 length of said beater stem, each shaft being mounted obliquely with respect to the diaphragm of said drum and rotatable about its longitudinal axis such that the heads of the heaters are farther apart when remote from the diaphragm than they are when in contact with structure. 

1. A drum double pedal device comprisng a supporting structure including means to secure it in front of a drum, two beaters, each comprising a beater stem and a beater head, mounted on said structure, two depressible foot pedals respectively associated with said beaters, and drive transmission means connecting each pedal to its associated beater, each drive transmission means containing a shaft with one of said beater stems perpendicularly attached therEto to minimize the length of said beater stem, each shaft being mounted obliquely with respect to the diaphragm of said drum and rotatable about its longitudinal axis such that the heads of the beaters are farther apart when remote from the diaphragm than they are when in contact with the diaphragm.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein each said drive transmission means comprises a drag link extending from one of said pedals to a crank arm on the corresponding beater shaft.
 3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said drag link includes a universal joint.
 4. A pedal device according to claim 1 wherein the pedals are de-mountably affixed to the supporting structure.
 5. A pedal device according to claim 2 wherein the pedals are de-mountably affixed to the supporting structure. 